Symphony Pie

 Symphony  Bar Pie (Candy Bar Pie)

My roommate Carla just made this pie and I found it to be so delicious that I wanted to publish the recipe!

Symphony Pie

1 King Size Symphony Bar (milk chocolate or toffee chip)

1/4 cup half and half or milk (or water)

1 8 oz tub Cool Whip

Graham Cracker pie crust (or use frozen pastry crust that you cook first)

Break up Symphony Bar and add the milk or cream in large microwave safe  bowl.  Heat in microwave for 45 seconds.  Remove and mix with spoon so that all of the chocolate is melted .  Add Cool Whip and mix very well (do this for about five minutes making sure that all of the chocolate is incorporated.  Pour Chocolate mixture into graham cracker crust or cooked pastry crust and spread evenly.  Cover and freeze for 3 hours before serving.  It will stay good int he freezer for weeks but I guarantee you that it wont last that long.

***She prefers the Milk chocolate over the toffee, but they are both fantastic.  This is a great pie to experiment with.  We have done a Reese's pie with about 8 to 10 cups, made the exact same way and it was delicious!

Sarah's Pecan Pie from Christy

Christy's friend Sarah is a great cook and shared this recipe with her, and Christy made it and said it was easy to make and yummy!
I love pecan pie, so here is the recipe:  (says from Grandma Joyce Watson's Amish cookbook):

Pecan Pie
3 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter melted
1 cup pecans (I chop mine, the flavor is better and pie is easier to cut)
1 tsp vanilla

Beat eggs, beat in sugar, corn syrup, vanilla & butter
Add the pecans.  Pour into unbaked pie shell.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 min, or until filling is set in the center.

The original "Never Fail" pie crust

For a 2 crust pie:

1 stick of Buttery Crisco1/4 cup boiling water
1 Tblsp milk (I use buttermilk)
whip with a fork to the consistency of whipped cream
Add 2 cups flour and 1/2 tsp salt and mix together until you can mold with your hands 2 balls (if it's too sticky add just a pinch of flour so you can form the balls)
With a rolling pin, roll out 1 ball between flour dusted plastic wrap or wax paper. 
 Peel off top layer of plastic wrap and place your pie plate over the crust, flip over, remove the plastic wrap, and mold the pie crust into the pie plate and pour in your filling.

If you are only making one pie, you can freeze the other ball in a plastic freezer bag, it freezes well.


I can't wait to try this, but Christy has and said it was so so good.

For the nourishing of your soul:

"Hope is not a feeling -- it's not a tidal wave of joy in the middle of a problem.  Hope is not the magic wand that makes the problem disappear.  Hope is the lifeline that can keep you from being overwhelmed by the storms in your life.
When you place your hope in Jesus, you place your confidence in His promises that He will never leave you or forsake you--that He will do what is best for you.  Even though you may be in  the middle of a huge problem, hope enables you to be at peace, knowing that Jesus is with you every step of the way"  David Batty

Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie

1 cup boiling water
1 small lime jello
14 oz can Eagle Brand milk
1/2 cup lime juice
8 oz cool whip
Graham cracker crust (premade)

Mix together boiling water and lime Jello.  Cool. Add Eagle Brand and lime juice; mix.  Cool for at least 30 min then add Cool Whip; mix well and pour into graham cracker crust.  Cool for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Superb Apple Pie

Megan just had a birthday and requested apple pie for her cake (well she still wanted vanilla cake with peanut butter frosting) so I quickly baked up one from my Sandridge Ward cookbook, this is from Kristen Funes and it is VERY good!

Superb Apple Pie
Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 cups sliced apples
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

Filling:
Combine sugar, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon.  Stir in apples and blend thoroughly.  Pour into Pie Shell.
Topping: Combine flour and sugar, cut in butter.  Sprinkle over pie.  Place in brown paper bag; seal (I guess you can staple it shut but I just folded it down real good and left it)  (If you don't have brown paper bag, use one of those turkey cooking bags)  Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours (I baked mine at 1 hour and 20 min and it was done!)
Expect wonderful pie!! yum

Crust:
2 cups flour
1 cup crisco butter flavored shortening
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
Mix together flour and salt.  Add in the shortening and using your hands crumble it all together until size of peas.  Add water (cold ) and mix together.  roll out size of pie pan

Cherry Hill Pie Crust and Pie Recipes

A couple of years ago I went to a Homemaking demonstration where a lady from Cherry Hill Pie Pantry taught us how to make pies, I have used her crust with no fail ever since:

6 cups unbleached flour )Golden West brand preferred
3 cups butter flavored Crisco
3 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups  cold water

Mix flour, shortening and salt with fingers until it resembles a crumb mixture.  Add cold water. Work with your hands into a smooth ball.
Bake pies at 375 degrees for one hour or until pie shakes loose.
Bake shells at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 min

This makes 5 two-crust pies and some shells
Can brush milk over pie crust and sprinkle on sugar for shiny finish, do that before baking.

*NOTE  for one pie I do the following:
2 cups flour
1 cup crisco shortening
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water

for two crust pie, can seal crust by dabbing fingers in water to bottom crust before putting on top crust.

Basic Cream Pie Filling
makes enough for 2 pies
5 cups milk
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 - 3 oz pkg of Jello brand pudding (NOT the instant kind)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon (if making any kind of pie except chocolate

Mix all ingredients together in your pan.  Cook on high until it is almost to a boil.  Reduce your heat to medium and take off when it has started to boil again.

Razzleberry Pie
Bring 4 3/4 cups water and 3 1/3 cups sugar to a boil.  Add one (1-lb) package of Flavorland brand Marion Blackberries to the syrup.  Bring to a boil again. 
Thicken with three rounding 1/3 cups of Red Berry Pie Tone diluted with 1 cup water- OR- three rounding 1/3 cups corn starch.  This mixture will be quite thick.
Remove from stove.  Put in one (1-lb) package boysenberries and one (12 oz) package frozen red raspberries.  Fold berries in gently
and let cool. 
Makes five 9 inch pies

Blueberry Pie
Bring 4 3/4 cups water and 3 1/3 cups sugar to a boil.  Add one (1 lb) package of blueberries and bring to a boil again.  
Thicken with three rounding 1/3 cps of Red Berry Pie Tone diluted with one cup water - OR - three rounding 1/3 cups corn starch. 
This mixture will be quite thick.
Remove from the stove.  Fold in two more 1 lb package of blueberries and let cool
Makes five 9 in pies.

Boysenberry Pie
Bring 1 1/2 cups water and 1 cups sugar to a boil
Add 1/3 cup Red Berry Pie Tone diluted with 1/2 cup water OR one rounding 1/3 cup corn starch.
Remove from the stove and add one (1 lb ) package of boysenberries
Makes enough for one 9 in pie and a turnover

Red Berry Tone is available at kitchen Kneads

And for the nourishing of our souls:

while cleaning in my room I came across some sayings I will share them with you:
* The sooner we face a problem, the sooner we can turn our back on it!

*Spread kindness as you go along because life is a one-way street and you're not coming back!

*Most of us are inclined to measure our achievement by what others haven't done.

*Do something every day to make people happy, even if it is only to leave them alone!
And here is a song to go with my theme: listen here I like this song sung by Garth Brooks but couldnt find his version, so this one works, just fast forward til he starts singing! If tomorrow never comes!

Thanksgiving Pies

More recipes from Dana Day on her Thanksgiving Pies, I would like to include them on my blog as well

Here is Jayne Watson's Pie Crust Recipe:

 

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup shortening, chilled

3 Tablespoons water

 

Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium size bowl.  With a pastry blender, cut in the cold shortening until the mixture resembles course crumbs.  Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water over flour.  Toss mixture with fork to moisten, adding more water a few drops at a time until the dough comes together (it took me a lot more than 3 tbsp for this to happen.)

 

Gently gather the dough particles together into a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap or put in a ziploc bag and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling out. 

 

Roll out dough, and put in a pie plate.  Fill with desired filling. 

 

The hint with pie dough is don't over work it.  I would make each bath separately   That way you are not working with too much and get it just right.  It is easier to me this way too and actually pretty fast.  I just use the same big bowl.  This recipe only makes enough for a bottom filling.  So for apple I did double it.  But I would never more than double it at a time.  It worked fine though for two crust.  I halved the dough that time and patted into round dough balls and put in the bag to chill.  I liked that I could chill it and work on the fillings as we went along. 

 

We made Pumpkin:

My only hint here is I just use the Libby's Pumpkin.  The cream can.  The unspiced can.  Most people grab the brown label because it is already seasoned.  But, in my opinion it taste like barf.  It seriously is not hard to add your own spices and follow the recipe.  It is worth it.  I told Megan NEVER ever pick up the dark brown label, ALWAYS buy the cream label.  Make your pie crust.  Follow the recipe and pour into the unbaked pie shell and bake.  Normally takes around an hour.  To test if it is done I just stick a knife in the center and when it comes out clean it is done.  I don't even try testing it for at least 60 minutes.  :) This is the world's easiest pie.  If you are worried about the crust burning just do a foil tent over the top for the first half .

Don't buy them.  This is so much better. 

 

Apple Pie:

 

Here is the recipe for that:

 

Heat Oven to 350 degrees.

 

10 to 12 large green granny smith apples

1/4 cup sugar (a little more if you have a lot of apples)

3/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp. Flour

 

Peel apples.  Slice them into a large bowl.  Add all the sugar and spices and lemon juice etc.  Mix up well.  Pour into pastry crust.  Top with the second crust.  Make whatever cute designs you would like to make.  I always start my apple pie for the first hour with a foil tent.  My college roommate taught me this.  It keeps your crust from burning on the edges.  After about an hour I remove the tent and let it continue to bake.  It normally takes my pie another hour.  I like the apples really soft.  Mmmmmm.  Hint: make sure there is something to catch the drippings in case your pie boils over. 

Bake at 350 degree's for at least 60 minutes.  Mine always takes around  1 and a half hours to 2 hours.  I test it by sticking  a knife in it.  If the knife goes in and I can feel the apples are soft, I know it is done. 

 

Megan's favorite Pie is Lemon Meringue:

Here is my Great Grandma's Lemon Pie Recipe:

(however I will admit here I do not use her filling recipe.  Only because I have always used the way my Mom made it. 

 BUT, I do use her Meringue recipe.) 

 

I use the Jello Lemon Cook and Serve Recipe.  I make a pie crust and bake it.  Then pour the filling in.  Then I whip up my Great Grandma's Meringue Recipe.  Bake it.  I will give you her entire amazing Lemon Pie Recipe.  If you are braver than I you may want to try it.  I hear it is wonderful.

 

Lemon Meringue Pie

 by: Essie Rich Hiatt

 

2 1/2 cups sugar

7 1/2 tbsp. flour

10 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

3 3/4 cups boiling water

Juice of 4 lemons

5 egg yolks

1 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. lemon flavoring

 

Pastry crust:

 

How:

Mix Sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt.  Add boiling water and stir and cook over low heat or in double broiler.  Cook until clear.  Add egg yolks, slightly beaten, and cook 2 more minutes.  Add butter and lemon juice.  cool and turn into cooked pastry crust.  Spread with Meringue and bake 8 minutes in the oven at 450 degree's. 

 

Meringue: Beat egg whites (5 until still).  Add 2/3 cup powdered sugar and 1/3 cup granulated sugar.  Add 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar to keep meringue from weeping. Whip until stiff peaks form.  Spread meringue on pie and make pretty points.  Bake for 8 minutes at 450 degree's.  I actually only baked it at 400 degree's.  I would also check it at 4 minutes.  Mine was done.